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A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, 

even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

By this all people will know that you are My disciples, 

if you have love for one another. 

~ John 13:34-35

 

Good morning dear sister!

Did you know that Jesus speaks of loving your neighbor/people in all four Gospels?

Matthew records His words, quoting Moses (in caps), “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND”. This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF”. (Mt 22:37-39)

Wow! Loving God with all of our hearts, souls and minds seems like a pretty tall order!! And what about that second commandment that Jesus says “Is like it”? Loving with all of our hearts, souls and minds comes pretty naturally, especially when it comes to ourselves. Loving the Lord like that takes some help from the Holy Spirit. I suspect that loving our neighbor as ourselves takes miraculous intervention!  Thankfully, the Lord promises to answer if we ask anything according to His will! Lord, help me to love my neighbor as I love myself!

In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus and a scribe are having the same conversation. The scribe agrees with Him and even adds a little insight at the end! The scribe answers, "Right, Teacher, you have truly stated that ‘He is one; and there is no one else beside Him; and to love Him with all the heart, and all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.’

And when Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God.’ ” (Mark 12:32-34)

Jesus liked his answer and we have a little clue here; that loving your neighbor as yourself involves much more than making ‘burnt offerings and sacrifices’. Those kinds of works sound like what may have been offered to God on behalf of a neighbor, perhaps the modern day vernacular would be “I’ll be thinking of you, hoping for the best or wishing you well, thoughts and prayers…” Jesus told the scribe that he was coming nearer to God’s intentions of loving our neighbor, but implies that he’s not quite there yet.

Jesus’ description of loving your neighbor becomes a little more detailed in the Gospel of Luke. He says, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you….. do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High, for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27~36)

Finally, something concrete, some specifics we can work on! But it sounds pretty risky. It’s easy to return love for love, favor for favor or even smile for smile, but we really need to have the power of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, to love those who hate us, pray for those who mistreat us, or to do good and get nothing in return. Jesus promises a great reward to those who respond with God’s love; to be called sons and daughters of the Most High! We are closer to imitating our Father, who is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Now we’re getting somewhere!

In the book of John, the disciples have all gathered to have a meal together with Jesus. His last meal, in fact. Jesus brings a new commandment to the table! It is not a brand new concept, but rather a refining or refreshing of the old commandment. Instead of loving our neighbor as we love ourselves, which is fraught with our own dysfunction and vulnerability to sin, Jesus tells His disciples to love one another as He has loved them! This is possible when the Holy Spirit lives in us! We can do all things, even love the unlovable, when God’s love and power resides in us! 

Jesus’ love is perfect! His love for you is perfect! When we love each other with His perfect love we build one another up! We care for each other! We are cheerful, loving and kind! We encourage each other to grow! We help one another in times of weakness. When we dwell in His perfect love, wonderful things happen! It is indeed a testimony to everyone around us!

“By this, all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

My beloved sister, if you are having difficulty loving someone, pray and ask God to help you! God IS love, and it is His will for us to love one another. He will answer that prayer! 

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

Lots of love, your sister, Celeste